Mounting duplex tables on two rods



April 1966 D. E. SUTTON 3,243,921

MOUNTING DUPLEX TABLES ON TWO RODS Filed June 27, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN TOR.

April 5, 1966 n. E. SUTTON MOUNTING DUPLEX TABLES ON TWO RODS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 27, 1963 W fl R0 2 my J W U 0 0 m E B a WW w 71% 2 i 4 m T 1% d H W Md m 7 f April 5, 1966 n. E. SUTTON MOUNTING DUPLEX TABLES ON TWO RODS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 27, 1963 April 5, 1966 D. E. SUTTON 3,243,921

MOUNTING DUPLEX TABLES ON TWO RODS Filed June 27, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

DO/(A440 JZ/TTO/L/ United States Patent 3,243,921 MOUNTING DUPLEX TABLES ON TWO RODS Donald E. Sutton, Comstoek Township, Kalamazoo County, Mich, assignor to Hammond Machinery Builders, Inc., Kalamazoo, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed June 27, 1963, Ser. No. 290,979 14 Claims. (Cl. 51109) This invention relates to multiple feeding devices for a material working machine and it relates particularly to improved apparatus for independently supporting and feeding multiple workpieces to a material cutting tool, such as a grinding wheel.

While the feeding apparatus of the invention is widely applicable to the feeding of many diiferent kinds of material and various numbers of parts to different types of material cutting devices, one particular embodiment has been primarily designed for the feeding of small workpieces to a grinding Wheel, which may be an oscillating type of grinding wheel and which further may be an electrolytic grinding wheel. Thus, it will be convenient for descriptive purposes to refer to such particular embodiment. However, it will be understood that reference hereinbelow to such specific type of machine is for illustrative purposes only and is not to be taken in any way as limiting the invention or precluding its applicability to other types of material working devices.

The concept of a duplex table grinder wherein a pair of work-supporting and feeding tables are supported and operated independently for delivering workpieces to a material working device has been previously known in the art and is illustrated, for example, in United States Patent No. 2,935,824 assigned to the same assignee as the present device. However, past devices have often employed means for supporting each of said tables which means have a number of undesirable characteristics which the present invention seeks to overcome. For example, each table of a duplex assembly often rides upon a pair of rails, said rails generally being spaced apart from each other a lesser distance than the width of the table. Such rails, whether or not they include friction reducing means such as ball ways, are relatively expensive to manufacture. Such rails, in order to operate correctly, must be set parallel to one another with a high degree of precision which often entails considerable expenditure of time and effort to achieve. Furthermore, when two tables so supported are employed, a total of four rails is present which compounds the problems of manufacture in that all four rails must be parallel to each other in order to insure proper and accurate movement of the tables supported thereby. Still further, the rails in each pair must generally be set relatively close together, that is, less than the width of the table supported thereby, to avoid interference with the rails of another table. Thus, torques exerted upon said tables about the longitudinal axes of said rails are less effectively resisted than if a Wider rail spacing were used.

Accordingly, the objects of this invention include:

(1) To provide improved support means for a multiplicity of work-supporting tables feeding a material working device.

(2) To provide means, as aforesaid, which is particularly adapted for supporting a pair of work-supporting and feeding tables such as duplex tables on a duplex table grinder.

(3) To provide means, as aforesaid, wherein said tables are operable independently of each other.

(4) To provide means, as aforesaid, wherein the rails on which the tables slide can have a greater degree of nonparallelity than previously without causing the tables to bind during a sliding movement on the rails.

(5) To provide means, as aforesaid, wherein a pair of worktables is supported on a total of two elongated mem- 3,243,921 Patented Apr. 5, 1966 bers and wherein each table receives support from both said members.

(6) To provide means, as aforesaid, which will be strong and sturdy and capable of supporting said worktables and constraining the movement thereof in a highly precise manner.

(7) To provide means, as aforesaid, which will be of sufiieient simplicity and sturdiness that it will require a minimum of maintenance over an extended operating life.

(8) To provide means, as aforesaid, which is readily adaptable to workpieces of a range of sizes.

(9) To provide means, as aforesaid, which allows less expensive multiple table construction than has previously been possible.

Other objects and purposes of the invention will become apparent to persons acquainted with devices of this general type upon reading the following specification and inspection of the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a grinding machine incorporating two work holding and feeding tables supported in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a section taken on the line IIII of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary, partially broken, side elevational view of the grinding machine.

FIGURE 4 is a section taken on the line IVIV of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a section taken on the line VV of FIG- URE 3.

FIGURE 6 is a partially broken section taken on the line VI-VI of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary bottom elevational view of means supporting one of the tables of the grinder.

FIGURE 8 is an inverted oblique view of means supporting one of the tables of the grinder.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION In general, the invention contemplates the fixed mounting of a pair of parallel rods whereby the rods are parallel with the desired direction of worktable reciprocation which will, in the present embodiment, normally be in a direction perpendicular to the working face of the grinding wheel. Normally, but not necessarily, the rods will define a horizontal plane. A pair of table slide means is provided, each thereof having one of a pair of worksupporting tables fixed thereto and each having a pair of axially spaced bearings depending therefrom for supporting said table. Said table slide means slides on said rods for axial motion therealong.

The first table slide is supported primarily upon the first of said rods and has an outrigger extension supported on the second of said rods whereby axial movement of said table slide along said rods is permitted but rotative movement around either of said rods is prevented. The second of said table slides is primarily supported upon said second rod with an outrigger extension extending to and supported upon said first rod whereby said second table slide may move axially of said rods but is prevented from rotative movement about either of said rods. Said outrigger extensions are offset axially with respect to each other sufiiciently to permit the desired reciprocating movement of said tables axially along said rods.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In the following description certain terminology will be used as a matter of convenience in reference which terminology is not intended as limiting. Particularly, the terms upwar and downward, derivatives thereof and words of similar import will refer to the machine in its normal position of operation as seen in FIGURES 1 and 3. The terms forward and rearward, derivatives thereof and words of similar import will refer to directions to the right and to the left, respectively, as seen in FIGURE 3. The terms inward and outward, derivatives thereof and words of similar import will refer to directions toward or away from the geometric center of the machine or a portion of the machine.

Turning now to the drawings, FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 disclose a grinding machine having a base 11 upon which is supported a suitable grinding wheel 12 of any desired type and which may be an oscillating wheel. The wheel 12 is driven by any convenient means, not shown. A pair of tables 16 and 17 are supported on respective columns 18 and 19 for movement along lines preferably perpendicular to the radial plane of the grinding wheel 12 by means hereinafter described and embodying the invention. Should it be desired to employ the device embodying the invention and hereinafter described on an electrolytic grinding machine, suitable bafiiing may be employed to restrain the flow of electrolyte to desired areas. Such battling is partially indicated in FIGURES 1 and 2 wherein each of the columns 18 and 19 rests upon essentially flat bafile sheets 21 and 22, respectively, said bafile sheets having downwardly turned flanges along their perimeter which are horizontally spaced from, surround and vertically overlap upturned flanges on a pan 23 which is fixed in any convenient manner with respect to the base 11 and which serves as a protective covering for mechanism lying therebelow. Said flanges on the pan 23 define openings 24 and 26 through said pan under the tables 16 and 17 for purposes appearing hereinafter. The baffle sheets 21 and 22 and the pan 23 do not form a part of the present invention and, if preferred, may be omitted or replaced with any other desired means. Further details of this construction will be found in United States Patent No. 2,935,824.

Turning now to the novel means supporting the duplex tables 16 and 17, a table support 31 (FIGURES 1, 2 and 3) has its rearward face rigidly fixed to the base 11 by any convenient means, here shown for purposes of illustration as including a spacer plate 32 and backing plate 33. The table support 31 has adjacent its upper edge a pair of horizontally spaced, forwardly extending bosses 36 and 37 preferably integral therewith. Webs 38 and 39 extend between the bosses 36 and 37, respectively, and the lower portion of the rod support 31 and a web 41 extend between said bosses for reinforcing said bosses at a fixed attitude with respect to the rest of the rod support 31. The bosses 36 and 37 have precisely aligned, parallel, coaxial bores 42 and 43, respectively, therethrough (FIGURES 4 and 6) in which are fixed by any convenient means (not shown) mutually parallel, forwardly extending rods 46 and 47, respectively. The rods 46 and 47 thus preferably define a horizontal plane and are perpendicular to the radial face of the grinding wheel 12.

Means carried on the rod 46 and hereinafter to be described are identical to similar means on the rod 47. Hence, such means will be described only in connection with the rod 46 and the reference numerals supplied thereto will be applied with the sufiix a appended thereto to corresponding parts of the means supported by the rod 47.

The rod 46 supports, intermediate the ends thereof, a slide 48 (FIGURES 1, 4, 5, 6 and 7) comprising a normally horizontal top plate 49 (FIGURE 5) having preferably integral depending legs 51 and 52, respectively, adjacent the rearward'and forward ends thereof. The top plate 49 supports on its upper surface the column 18 which is fixed thereto by the screws 50 (FIGURE 7). The legs 51 and 52 have coaxial bores 53 and 54 (FIG- URES 4 and 8), respectively, therethrough near the outer edges thereof. Suitable bushings 57 and 58 are fixed in the bores 53 and 54, respectively, for reception therethrough of the rod 46. Conduits 61 and 62 (FIGURE 2) supply lubrication from any convenient source, not shown, through conventional tapped openings 63 and 64 in the bottoms of the legs 51 and 52, respectively, to the bushings 57 and 58, respectively. Pairs of annular oil retainers 67 and 68 are fixed adjacent to the axially outer surfaces of legs 51 and 52 coaxial with the bores 53 and 54 to prevent escape of lubrication fluid from said bores.

An extension arm 71 depends from and is preferably integral with the lower face of the top plate 49 of the slide 48 and is axially located adjacent to but spaced from the forward leg 52. The extension arm 71 extends from a point on the top plate 49 inward of the rod 46 toward the opposite rod 47 (FIGURES 5 and 6) and there terminates in a preferably integral, semicircular yoke 72 comprising a pair of vertically spaced fingers 73 and 74. The fingers 73 and 74 are pierced by holes 75 and 76 (FIGURES 4 and 8), respectively, in which are held the rider pins 77 and 78, said rider pins being fixed therein by any convenient means such as set screws (not shown) but which are introduced into suitably tapped openings 83 and 84 (FIGURE 8). Said rider pins are preferably coaxial with a vertical diameter of the rod 46 and are in snug, sliding contact with the radially outer surface thereof. Thus, the slide 48 is constrained from radial movement with respect to the rod 46 by the bushings 57 and 58 and is constrained from angular movement with respect to rod 46 by the constraint imposed upon the extension arm 71 by the rod 47. Hence, the slide 48, and therefore the table 16 supported thereupon, is permitted to move only axially along the rod 46.

As was previously indicated, the slide 48 is identical to the slide 48a. Thus, when the slide 48 is placed on the rod 46, as indicated in FIGURE 6 whereby the extension arm 71 is forward of the axial center line of said slide, the slide 4811 will have its extension arm 71a to the rear of its axial center line, also as shown in FIGURE 6. Hence, when the slides 48 and 48a are positioned opposite each other they may be moved from such position both forwardly and rearwardly with respect to each other. The forward (away from the rod support 31) movement of the slide 48 with respect to the slide 48a is limited by interference between the extension arm 71 and the leg 52 of the slide 48a and, hence, simultaneous interference of the extension arm 71a with the leg 52a of the slide 48. Rearward movement of the slide 48 with respect to the slide 48a is limited by interference between the extension arms 71 and 71a. It will be apparent that the extent of relative movement between identical slides will be maximized when the arm of one slide is placed a distance from one of the legs thereof equal to twice its distance from the other leg thereof plus the width of the yoke fixed to the other slide.

A keeper bar 81 (FIGURES l and 2) is removably secured to the rod 46 by any convenient means such as screws, not shown, for preventing the slide 48 from inadvertently sliding off the forward end of said rod. The keeper bars 81 and 81a are preferably removable for allowing removal of said slides from said rods when desired.

Any suitable power means, here illustrated by an air cylinder 87, may be employed, if desired, to move the table 16 toward and away from the wheel 12. The velocity of such motion may be controlled by any suitable means, here illustrated by a fluid restraining unit 91. The

path of said tables may be limited by any desired means, here shown as an adjustable rod 112 carried by the slide 48 capable of actuating a limit switch 101 at a preselected point in the travel of said slide for stopping or reversing the direction of said travel. Similar power and control means may be provided for the table 17 as here shown.

OPERATION Although the operation of the machine has been indicated somewhat above, it will now be discussed in detail for purposes of clear understanding.

The general methods for sequenching the operation of the tables of the duplex table grinder are well known in the art and thus will be only briefly summarized here.

Assuming a workpiece to have been placed on either of the tables 16 or 17, for example, the table 16, a suitable starting means, not shown, may be activated whereby the cylinder 87 is energized to move the table 16 toward the wheel 12. Upon reaching the end of the cut, the rod 112 will have been previously set so that actuation of the limit switch 101 by said rod occurs. Suitable circuitry, not shown, then causes a reversal of the pressure fluid cylinder 87 which moves the table 16 and workpiece attached thereto forwardly away from the wheel 12. The table 16 remains in its forward position until suitable starting means are again energized to energize the pressure fluid cylinder 87 for rearward movement. Operation of the mechanism for the table 17 is identical to that immediately hereinabove described with respect to the table 16 inasmuch as the means supporting and operating same are preferably identical to corresponding parts related to the table 16. Such operation of the table 17 may occur independently of the operation of the table 16 and needs no further discussion.

The horizontal alignment of the tables with respect to each other is controlled by the positions of the pins 77, 78, 77a and 78a in the openings into which they are respectively received. The set screws in the openings 83 and 84, and/ or their counterparts on slide 48a, are loosened, the said pins adjusted as needed and the set screws again tightened.

Since the pins 77, 78, 77a and 78a can move slightly in a horizontal direction with respect to the rods 46 and 47 without seriously affecting the position of the tables, the apparatus of the invention can tolerate a greater degree of misalignment of the rods 46 and 4-7 than previously without causing the slides 48 and 48a to bind against said rods.

Although a particular preferred embodiment of the in vention has been disclosed above in detail for illustrative purposes, it will be understood that variations or modifications of such disclosure, which lie within the scope of the appended claims, are fully contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. In a mechanical device for supporting a pair of parts for reciprocation with respect to each other over parallel, transversely spaced paths, the combination comprising:

a pair of rods and means supporting same in fixed substantially parallel relationship; first reciprocable means radially fixed on one of said rods for supporting one of said parts and having first extension means fixed thereto which bears on the other of said rods for preventing rotation of said first reciprocable means about said one rod;

second reciprocable means radially fixed on said other rod and axially reciprocable along said other rod beside and with respect to said first reciprocable means for moving the other part independently of the one part and having second extension means fixed thereto which bears on said one red for preventing rotation of said second reciprocable means about said other rod;

whereby said reciprocable means may move axially upon said rods independently of each other.

2. In a material working machine having a pair of work-supporting and feeding tables reciprocable over opposed parallel paths, the combination comprising:

a pair of parallel, dfixed rods and means supporting same;

first table support means supporting one of said tables and radially constrained for movement along one of said rods;

first extension means fixed to said first table support means and bearing against the other of said rods for preventing angular motion of said first table support means with respect to said one rod;

second table support means supporting the other of said table means and radially constrained for movement along said other rod;

second extension means fixed to said second table support means and bearing against said one rod for preventing angular motion of said second table support means with respect to said other rod, said first and second extension means being spaced from each other at least when said tables are directly opposed to each other perpendicularly of said rods;

said first table support means being slidable axially with respect to said one rod and said second table support means being slidable axially with respect to said other rod.

3. In a duplex table grinder having a grinding wheel, the combination comprising:

first and second rods and means supporting same in mutual parallelism for defining a plane transverse to the working face of the grinding wheel;

identical first and second table support means, each having a pair of axially spaced bearing means for radially supporting same on its respective one of said first and second rods;

first and second extension means fixed respectively with said first and second table support means axially between said bearing means, said first extension means being closer to the bearing means closest to one end of said first rod and said second extension means being closer to the bearing means on said second table support closest to the opposite ends of said second rod, said first and second extension means extending respectively from said first and said second table support toward said second and first rods, respectively, and each terminating in yoke means at least partially surrounding said second and first rods, respectively, whereby to prevent angular displacement of said first and second extension means, but allowing axial movement of said first and second table support means on said first and second rods, respectively, said axial movement of one of said table supports being independent of axial movement of the other of said tables for a finite distance.

4. The device defined in claim 3 wherein said plane defined by said rods is a horizontal plane and wherein the working face on said grinding wheel is the radial face thereof.

5. The device defined in claim 3 wherein each of said yoke means bears on the rod partially surrounded thereby at two points defining a vertical diameter of said rod.

6. The device defined in claim 3 wherein the ends of said first and second rods opposite the ends thereof supported by said rod support means are unsupported.

7. The device defined in claim 6 including a keeper bar removably secured to the radial face of the unsupported end of each of said rods whereby removal of said keeper bars from said rods allows removal of said table support means from said rods.

8. The device defined in claim 3 including leg means fixed with respect to said table support means and supporting bearings thereon and wherein each of said extension means depends from its respective table support means so that the remainder of each of said table support means is raised above the level of said rods whereby a part of the yoke means on said first extension arm may enter between the upper surface of said second rod and the lower surface of said second table support means.

9. The device defined in claim 8 wherein the distance from the axial inner face of one of said leg means on each of said table support means to the adjacent face of the extension arm means of said one of said table support means is less than the distance between the other face of said extension arm means and the inner face of the other one of said legs on said table support means.

10. The device defined in claim 9 wherein twice the distance between the inner face of said one leg and the adjacent face of said extension arm means plus the thickness of said extension arm means is equal to said distance between said other face of said extension arm means and said inner face of said other leg means.

11. The device defined in claim 5 wherein said other shaft exercises only a vertical constraint upon said yoke.

. '7 7 1 2. In a duplex table grinder having a grinding wheel, the combination comprising:

first and second rods and means supporting same in parallelism for defining a plane transverse to the working face of the grinding wheel; first and second table support means, each having axially spaced bearing means for radially supporting same on a respective one of said first and second rods; first and second extension means fixed respectively to said first and second table support means, said first and second extension means extending, respectively, between the bearings of said first and second table supports and into axially sliding engagement with said second and first rods, respectively, to prevent angular displacement of said first and second extension means, but allowing at least some free relative axial movement of said first and second table support means. 7 13. In a duplex table support, the combination comprising:

fixed, parallel and spaced first and second rods; first and second table supports supported on said first and second rods, respectively, and directly opposed ing the free ends of said first and second means to saidtsecond and first rods, respectively, for allowing said arms to slide axially along said rods while preventing rocking of said table supports around said rods; w

bearing means connecting said first and second table supports to said first and second rods, respectively, at locations spaced from said free arm ends for allowing axial movement of table supports along said rods; whereby the spacing of said arms from each other and from said bearing means allows relative axial movement between said table supports at least to a limited extent. 7

'14. The device defined in claim 13 in which the arms are directly opposed to each other in a direction parallel to said rods and at least portions of said first and second arms are axially offset from the axial center of said first and second table supports respectively.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 861,672 7/1907 Paige -58 2,481,421 9/1949 Hayes 90-58 2,880,632 4/1959 Charlat 9058 2,935,824 5/1960 Robischung 5l-24D HAROLD D. WHITEHEAD, Primary Examiner. 

3. IN A DUPLEX TABLE GRINDER HAVING A GRINDING WHEEL, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: FIRST AND SECOND RODS AND MEANS SUPPORTING SAME IN MUTUAL PARALLELISM FOR DEFINING A PLANE TRANSVERSE TO THE WORKING FACE OF THE GRINDING WHEEL; IDENTICAL FIRST AND SECOND TABLE SUPPORT MEANS, EACH HAVING A PAIR OF AXIALLY SPACED BEARING MEANS FOR RADIALLY SUPPORTING SAME ON ITS RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND RODS; FIRST AND SECOND EXTENSION MEANS FIXED RESPECTIVELY WITH SAID FIRST AND SECOND TABLE SUPPORT MEANS AXIALLY BETWEEN SAID BEARING MEANS, SAID FIRST EXTENSION MEANS BEING CLOSER TO THE BEARING MEANS CLOSEST TO ONE END OF SAID FIRST ROD AND SAID SECOND EXTENSION MEANS BEING CLOSER TO THE BEARING MEANS ON SAID SECOND TABLE SUPPORT CLOSEST TO THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID SECOND ROD, SAID FIRST AND SECOND EXTENSION MEANS EXTENSION RESPECTIVELY FROM SAID FIRST AND SAID SEC- 